Legal claims defining the scope of protection. Each claim is shown in both the original legal language and a plain English translation.
1. A method of hybrid access mode dynamic traffic offloading in an H(e)NB cell associated with a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), the method comprising: determining that traffic load in the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode exceeds a threshold; based on the determining, transmitting a signal indicating to at least one non-CSG terminal that a second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, other than a (e)NB cell, is available for connection to the at least one non-CSG terminal; in response to the transmitting the signal indicating to the at least one non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the at least one non-CSG terminal, receiving a signal indicating that the at least one non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell; and in response to the determining and the receiving the signal indicating that the at least one non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, providing to the at least one non-CSG terminal connection with the H(e)NB cell for voice communication and with the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell for data communication.
A method for dynamically offloading traffic in a hybrid access mode femtocell (H(e)NB) that serves both regular mobile subscribers and members of a closed subscriber group (CSG). The method involves determining when the femtocell's traffic load exceeds a predefined limit. When overloaded, the femtocell sends a message to regular subscribers, directing them to a secondary cell (not a macrocell eNB) associated with the femtocell. After the subscriber requests a connection to the secondary cell, the subscriber is connected to the femtocell for voice calls and to the secondary cell for data.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transmitting the signal indicating to the at least one non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, other than a (e)NB cell, is available for connection includes: transmitting a system information block (SIB) that includes at least one of identification information of the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell and authorization information for the at least one non-CSG terminal to achieve access to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell.
The method of offloading traffic, described above, transmits a system information block (SIB) to the regular mobile subscriber. The SIB includes information needed to connect to the secondary cell, such as the secondary cell's ID and authorization details so the non-CSG terminal can access the secondary cell.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is one of: a second H(e)NB cell operating in open mode, a second H(e)NB cell operating in a different radio access technology (RAT) from the RAT in which the H(e)NB cell operates, a cell operating in an unlicensed frequency band, and an IEEE 802.11 cell.
In the traffic offloading method described earlier, the secondary cell can be one of the following: another femtocell operating in open access mode, a femtocell using a different radio technology (e.g., switching from LTE to UMTS), a cell operating on an unlicensed frequency band (like 5 GHz), or a standard Wi-Fi access point (IEEE 802.11).
4. The method of claim 1 , comprising: determining that CSG terminals are connected to the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode, wherein the determining that the traffic load in the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode exceeds the threshold includes: determining that handling by the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode of traffic load associated with the at least one non-CSG terminal would negatively affect QoS to the CSG terminals.
In the traffic offloading method previously mentioned, the method determines whether traffic from regular mobile subscribers in the hybrid access mode femtocell is negatively impacting the quality of service (QoS) experienced by the CSG members connected to the same femtocell. The system monitors the traffic and, only if the regular subscribers' usage is degrading the experience of the CSG members, does it initiate the traffic offloading to the secondary cell.
5. A method of hybrid access mode dynamic traffic offloading in an H(e)NB cell associated with a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), the method comprising: transmitting a signal indicating that a non-CSG terminal requests connection to the H(e)NB cell; in response to the signal indicating that the non-CSG terminal requests connection to the H(e)NB cell, receiving a signal indicating to the non-CSG terminal that a second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, other than a (e)NB cell, is available for connection to the non-CSG terminal; and in response to the signal indicating to the non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the non-CSG terminal, transmitting a signal indicating that the non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell.
A method for a non-CSG mobile device to connect to a femtocell. The device initially sends a request to connect to the main femtocell. The femtocell responds with a message telling the device that a secondary cell (not a macrocell eNB) associated with the femtocell is available. The mobile device then sends a request to connect to this secondary cell.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the receiving the signal indicating to the non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, other than a (e)NB cell, is available for connection includes: receiving a system information block (SIB) that includes at least one of identification information of the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell and authorization information for the non-CSG terminal to achieve access to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell.
In the method for mobile devices to connect to a femtocell, described earlier, the femtocell sends a system information block (SIB) to the mobile device. The SIB includes information needed to connect to the secondary cell, such as the secondary cell's ID and authorization details allowing the device to access the secondary cell.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is one of: a second H(e)NB cell operating in open mode, a second H(e)NB cell operating in a different radio access technology (RAT) from the RAT in which the H(e)NB cell operates, a cell operating in an unlicensed frequency band, and an IEEE 802.11 cell.
As described in the method for mobile devices to connect to a femtocell, the secondary cell can be one of the following: another femtocell operating in open access mode, a femtocell using a different radio technology (e.g., switching from LTE to UMTS), a cell operating on an unlicensed frequency band (like 5 GHz), or a standard Wi-Fi access point (IEEE 802.11).
8. The method of claim 5 , comprising: in response to the signal indicating to the non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the non-CSG terminal, establishing connection with the H(e)NB cell for voice communication and with the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell for data communication.
The method where a mobile device connects to the femtocell includes the mobile device establishing a connection to the main femtocell for voice calls and a separate connection to the secondary cell for data transmission. This allows offloading the data traffic from the femtocell.
9. A network entity in an H(e)NB cell associated with a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) and operating in hybrid access mode, the network entity comprising: a dynamic traffic offloading logic configured to determine that traffic load in the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode exceeds a threshold and further configured to, based on the determination, encode a signal indicating to at least one non-CSG terminal that a second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, other than a (e)NB cell, is available for connection to the at least one non-CSG terminal; a transmitter configured to transmit the signal indicating to the at least one non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the at least one non-CSG terminal; a receiver configured to, in response to the transmitting the signal indicating to the at least one non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the at least one non-CSG terminal, receive a signal indicating that the at least one non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell; and wherein the transmitter is further configured to, in response to the determining and the receiving the signal indicating that the at least one non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, providing to the at least one non-CSG terminal connection with the H(e)NB cell for voice communication and with the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell for data communication.
A femtocell device with hybrid access mode and serving a closed subscriber group (CSG) includes a module that monitors the traffic load. If the load exceeds a threshold, the module tells regular subscribers to connect to a secondary cell (not a macrocell eNB) associated with the femtocell. The femtocell has a receiver that listens for requests from regular subscribers to connect to the secondary cell. Once a request is received, the femtocell connects the device to the main femtocell for voice and the secondary cell for data.
10. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the signal indicating to the at least one non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the at least one non-CSG terminal includes a system information block (SIB) that includes at least one of identification information of the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell and authorization information for the at least one non-CSG terminal to achieve access to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell.
The femtocell device described previously, when telling regular subscribers about the secondary cell, sends a system information block (SIB). The SIB contains the secondary cell's ID and any authorization details needed for the subscriber to connect.
11. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is one of: a second H(e)NB cell operating in open mode, a second H(e)NB cell operating in a different radio access technology (RAT) from the RAT in which the H(e)NB cell operates, a cell operating in an unlicensed frequency band, and an IEEE 802.11 cell.
In the femtocell device described earlier, the secondary cell can be one of the following: another femtocell operating in open access mode, a femtocell using a different radio technology (e.g., switching from LTE to UMTS), a cell operating on an unlicensed frequency band (like 5 GHz), or a standard Wi-Fi access point (IEEE 802.11).
12. The network entity of claim 9 , wherein the dynamic traffic offloading logic is configured to determine that handling by the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode of traffic load associated with the at least one non-CSG terminal would negatively affect QoS to CSG terminals connected to the H(e)NB cell operating in hybrid access mode.
The femtocell device described previously monitors traffic from regular subscribers. It only offloads traffic to the secondary cell if handling the regular subscribers' data is negatively affecting the quality of service (QoS) for CSG members also connected to the same femtocell.
13. A wireless terminal in an H(e)NB cell associated with a Closed Subscriber Group (CSG) and operating in hybrid access mode, wherein the wireless terminal is a wireless non-CSG terminal, the wireless terminal comprising: a transmitter configured to transmit a signal indicating that the wireless non-CSG terminal requests connection to the H(e)NB cell; a receiver configured to receive in response to the signal indicating that the wireless non-CSG terminal requests connection to the H(e)NB cell a signal indicating to the wireless non-CSG terminal that a second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, other than a (e)NB cell, is available for connection to the wireless non-CSG terminal; a hybrid access mode logic configured to determine, based on the signal indicating to the wireless non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the wireless non-CSG terminal, whether the wireless non-CSG terminal is to request connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell; and the hybrid access mode logic is configured to encode a signal indicating that the wireless non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell, and the transmitter is configured to transmit the signal indicating that the wireless non-CSG terminal requests connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell.
A mobile device operating in a hybrid access mode femtocell that also serves a closed subscriber group (CSG) initiates the connection. The device first requests connection to the femtocell. The femtocell responds with information about a secondary cell (not a macrocell eNB) that the mobile device can connect to. The mobile device then determines, based on this secondary cell information, whether to connect to it and transmits a request to connect to the second cell.
14. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein the signal indicating to the wireless non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the wireless non-CSG terminal includes a system information block (SIB) that includes at least one of identification information of the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell and authorization information for the wireless non-CSG terminal to achieve connection to the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell.
The mobile device, described previously, receives a system information block (SIB) from the femtocell containing the secondary cell's information. This SIB includes the secondary cell's ID and authorization details needed for the device to connect to that cell.
15. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is one of: a second H(e)NB cell operating in open mode, a second H(e)NB cell operating in a different radio access technology (RAT) from the RAT in which the H(e)NB cell operates, a cell operating in an unlicensed frequency band, and an IEEE 802.11 cell.
In the mobile device, as described earlier, the secondary cell can be one of the following: another femtocell operating in open access mode, a femtocell using a different radio technology (e.g., switching from LTE to UMTS), a cell operating on an unlicensed frequency band (like 5 GHz), or a standard Wi-Fi access point (IEEE 802.11).
16. The wireless terminal of claim 13 , wherein the hybrid access mode logic is configured to determine, based on the signal indicating to the wireless non-CSG terminal that the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell is available for connection to the wireless non-CSG terminal, that the wireless non-CSG terminal is to request connection with the H(e)NB cell for voice communication and with the second cell associated with the H(e)NB cell for data communication.
The mobile device, after receiving information about a secondary cell, determines to connect to the main femtocell for voice communications and to the secondary cell specifically for data communications. This enables data offloading from the main femtocell.
Unknown
December 30, 2014
Browse 5M+ US patents with plain-English claim translations and AI-generated analysis.